8 Things That are Killing Your Immune System
How do you know that your immune system is in trouble?
The first symptom of the weak immune system is susceptibility to infection. So if you catch a cold often, have a sore throat, or you have recurrent herpes, it’s a sign that your immune system is in trouble.
Everyone talks about how important it is to strengthen immunity but hardly anyone asks why immunity fails?
Well, most often you are responsible for the decrease in immunity and weakening of your immune system.
How?
Things that are killing your immune system:
#1 sleep deficiency
Constant sleep deficiency disrupts the functioning of the immune system, reduces the production of lymphocytes and their ability to destroy microbes. Therefore, people who do not sleep well are more susceptible to infections.
A peaceful sleep (7-8 hours) ensures efficient renewal of immune cells.
#2 Stimulants
Alcohol, coffee, and cigarettes destroy vitamins A, C, E, B and microelements that help fight dangerous free radicals in the immune system.
High-percentage drinks kill immune cells circulating in the blood and lymph.
Smoking inhibits free radicals creation in the body. Nicotine smoke irritates mucous membranes, making it easier for germs to enter the body.
Do not smoke and avoid smoky rooms, replace strong coffee and tea with fruit teas.
#3 Antibiotics
Let’s not forget that antibiotics only treat specific diseases and should only be taken when they are actually needed.
Antibiotics don’t work against viruses, so a viral infection is not a justification to reach for such a drug.
Antibiotic treatment disrupts the natural flora of the digestive tract, which just helps the immune system protecting against diseases. Therefore, after antibiotic treatment, we quickly catch another infection, we take an antibiotic again, and thus a vicious circle arises.
Specialists warn: the more we use antibiotics, the weaker we have the resistance and the higher the chances that we will immunize against drugs. And this is not just about the abuse of antibiotics in treating people, but also about inappropriate use in veterinary medicine, farming, and agriculture.
Antibiotics help to overcome many diseases and often save lives, but you have to use them wisely.
#4 Stress
The immune system is connected to the nervous system. Hence depression, anxiety, life under pressure, and other mental issues weakens the immune system.
Under the influence of cortisol, which in chronic stress is produced almost continuously, the number of white blood cells and the body’s ability to create antibodies decreases.
Lowering the immunity of the organism and at the same time, an excess of androgenic hormones leads to the disruption of the natural bacterial flora of mucous membranes and causes multiplication of germs. Therefore, people who have problems at work, at home or simply with themselves, more often get infections and react less well to vaccines.
#5 Lack Of Physical Activity
Physical activity, especially in the open air, stimulates the production of white blood cells and increases lymphocyte activity.
It also supports the process of thermoregulation – the body learns to react quickly to changing of temperature and the presence of microorganisms.
At the same time, it helps to fight stress – the enemy of your immune system. But you must remember that too intensive training increases the release of stress hormones, reducing immunity.
The simplest form of activity is walking or running regardless of the weather.
#6 Diet
People eat irregularly, reach for highly processed food with dyes, emulsifiers, improvers, and preservatives.
Then, overeat fat, sugar and white flour products, and too little vegetables and fruits.
Excess fats, especially animal fats, reduce the activity of immune cells, exposing you to diseases. In turn, vegetables and fruits are vitamin/mineral bombs that stimulate the immune system.
Vitamin A keeps the mucous membrane in good condition, protects against germs, increases the number of immune cells and activates them to fight viruses (dairy products, eggs, carrots, paprika, pumpkin, mango, spinach, sorrel, chives).
Vitamin C stimulates the production of interferon (a protein that helps to deal with germs), neutralizes free radicals, activates white blood cells and chemical transmitters to combat the disease (citrus, wild rose, black currant, cranberry, broccoli, parsley, turnip).
Vitamin E destroys free radicals, has anti-inflammatory properties, is involved in the production of red blood cells (sunflower seeds, almonds, nuts, oils, fish, whole grain products).
Vitamins from group B participate in the creation of proteins, hormones and enzymes needed to strengthen the defense lines (bananas, avocados, meat, fish, dairy products, whole grains, groats).
#7 Overprotective Parenting
Overprotective parenting can not only hurt kids mentally but also can have serious health consequences.
For some parents, it seems that a small child should not have contact with the smallest of contaminants, so they bring them up under sterile conditions.
It’s a mistake!
Each child gets antibodies from the mother, which for the first 6 months protect them from diseases. If it is breastfed, this immunity lasts longer. After the first year of life, your own immunity begins to develop.
A child brought up in a sterilized environment has nothing to train his immunity on. For this reason, it is not worth falling into exaggeration and disinfect the flat on a daily basis, because excess hygiene can hurt.
#8 Chemicals
Excess of chemicals disrupts the immune system.
Commonly used cleansers and antiseptics irritate the epidermis and mucous membranes and destroy the natural bacterial flora, which stimulates the immune system and prevents the development of dangerous germs.
Exhaust fumes, poisonous substances emitted from asphalt, adhesives, paints, carpets, furniture, as well as air dried by radiators or air conditioning. All this makes it easier for germs to get into the body.